Portable drawing board



Feb. 3, 1970 M. YOURIST PORTABLE DRAWING BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1968 Mnxvusz.

Feb. 3, 1970 M. YOURIST PORTABLE DRAWING BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1968 50 IN vE/vra. Mfl/VUEL ybwe/sr Feb. 3, 1970 M. YOURIST PORTABLE DRAWING BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 f/vvE/vroe. Ewe/.97- m M firrok/vss s.

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Filed April 5, 1968 United States Patent 3,492,952 PORTABLE DRAWING BOAR Manuel Yourist, 1346 N. Laurel Ave., Apt. 203, Los Angeles, Calif. 90046 Filed Apr. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 718,394 Int. Cl. B431 /00 US. Cl. 108-9 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A variable position portable drawing board including frame means which are hingedly connected to each other and pivotable at an angle with respect to each other. Support means associated with said frames to adjustabiy set the angle between each frame. One of said frames carries a drawing board, which is independently adjustable from said frames along the plane of said frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises a variable position drawing board having an upper frame which may be adjusted angularly relative to a base frame adapted to sit horizontally, as well as including a drawing surface which may be adjusted along the plane of said upper frame.

Prior art boards or easel devices have the disadvantage of not being adaptable by commercial artists or draftsmen, and do not include means for not only angular adjustment but adjustment toward or away from the body as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides aportable drawing board device which is particularly suited for the commercial artist or draftsman. This invention is not only extremely lightweight and portable, but may be angularly adjusted relative to the horizontal, and also includes the additional feature of a drawing board surface which can be adjusted away from or toward the artist. In this way, the artist may move the board $0215 to obtain the best possible position while working on different sections of the :board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the portable draw- .ing board illustrated in an elevated position;

FIGURE 2 is a back plan view of an upper frame and drawing surface taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the portable drawing board;

FIGURE 4 is a viewpartly in. section, taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3; I 7

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of the adjustable brace taken on line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the portable drawing board illustrating a fixed angle support;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the portable drawing board in a closed position.

FIGURE 8 is a modified form of the portable drawing board in an open position; and

3,492,952 Patented Feb. 3, 1970 ICE FIGURE 9 is a view taken on line 99 of FIGURE 8, illustrating further details of construction of the modified supports.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The portable drawing board, generally designated 10, includes a pair of matching, generally rectangular, frame members 12 and 14. The frame member 12 is generally considered to be the upper frame member, and frame 14 the lower or base frame member. The lower frame 14 includes parallel members 16, and side parallel members 18, joined at right angles to each other. The upper frame 12 includes parallel members 22, and side parallel members 24, joined at right angles to each other, and each coincident with the respective members of the lower frame 14.

The upper and lower frames 12 and 14 are hingedly connected to each other by means of a conventional piano type hinge means 25, wherein a strap portion 25a of the hinge means 25 is secured to the outside of one of the members 16 of frame 14, and a second strap portion 25b is secured to the outside of one of the members 22 of the upper frame 12. Preferably, the hinge means 25 extendsthe length of the respective members 16 and 22.

In order to maintain the angular adjustment of the upper frame 12, relative to the lower or base frame 14 two sets of adjustment support means are provided in the preferred embodiment, such as shown in FIGURES 1 through 7.

One form of adjustment means to be utilized by the user of the board, when the angle of inclination of the upper frame 12, relative to the lower frame 14, is to be minutely established, is an adjustable telescoping bracket designated 26. There is provided an elongated oversleeve 28, which includes an elongated slot 30. This oversleeve 28 also includes a bifurcated end clip 32, which is adapted to engage the member 16 of the lower frame 14. The opposite end of the sleeve 26 is open and receives in sliding engagement therewithin, an adjustable bar 34. Secured to the bar at one end thereof is a set screw 36, which extends through the slot 30 and may be tightened to maintain the sleeve 28 and bar 34 together in a fixed position, in any desired position, such as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The opposite end of the bar 34 includes a hinge 38 which is secured to a cross support 39 extending between the side members 24 of the upper frame 12.

When the adjustable drawing board 10 is not in use, the set screw 36 is released so that the bar 34 can telescope within the sleeve 28 and lie fiat, such as is illustrated in FIGURE 7.

The other adjustment means, designated 40, may be utilized to elevate the upper frame 12 to a fixed angle of inclination, such as illustrated in FIGURE 6. The adjustment means 40 includes a pair of braces 42, each of which is pivotally connected to the side members 24 of the upper frame 12 by pivot pins 44. At the end, remote from the pivot pins 44, the braces 42 are preferably slotted, or bifurcated, so as to engage the member 16. In commercial artwork, it is sometimes preferred to use a very slight angle of inclination relative to a horizontal plane when preparing artwork. Thus, the fixed support means 40 will achieve the desired result.

As can be seen from the drawings, the upper frame 12 includes a pair of opposed parallel channel members 50 secured on the upper sunface of each of the respective side members 24. In cross section, the channel members 50 are generally U-shaped, as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6. These channel members are utilized to retain a drawing board 52, of generally rectangular shape, and preferably made of wood. The perimeter of the board is preferably coincident with the perimeter of the upper frame 12. Each of the respective side members 54 is 3 slotted, as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6, so as to receive the upper flange 56 of the U-shaped channel member 50. Thus, it will be seen that the channel member 50 will retain the board 52 against lateral movement within the frame 12.

Once the angle of inclination of the upper frame 12 1S established relative to the base or lower frame 14, the portable drawing board may be moved to the edge of a table or desk, where the drawing board 52 may be moved up or down, relative to the vertical plane of the upper frame 12. It will be seen that the board will slide on the frame within the channel members 50, such as viewed in FIGURE 1. When the desired elevation of the board 52 is achieved by the artist, set screws 58 which extend through the cross support 40, will be tightened, bearing against the under surface of the drawing board 52 to retain it in the desired position.

There is further provided on the exterior of the member 16, a hook lock 60, which is adapted to engage a pin 62 on the outside of the upper member 22 to retain the two frames in closed position, such as illustrated in FIG- URE 7. Further, there is provided on the member 22, a carrying stra 64.

The drawing board 52, on its bottom end, preferably includes a stop plate 59 which extends across the bottom surface to retain papers.

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate a modified embodiment of the portable drawing board 10, relative to the adjustment bracket means. It will be seen in FIGURES 8 and 9, that there are provided a pair of supports 70 which are pivotally connected at one end to lower frame member 18 by means of pivot pins 72. The opposing end of each of the support bars 70 includes a reduced insert tip 74, which is adapted to be seated in any of a plurality of openings 76 provided on the under surface of the side members 24 of the upper frame 12. By utilizing any of the desired openings 76, the board may be angularly adjusted relative to the horizontal position of the lower frame 14.

The type of material to be utilized in the construction of the portable drawing board 10, frames 12 and 14, cross support 39, and support means 26, 40 and 70, is preferably extruded aluminum for its light weight strength and ease of assembly.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the portable drawing board 10 includes an unlimited number of positions, both in angular inclination relative to the horizontal, and vertically within the plane of the angular inclination. These variable positions achieve a particular advantage for the commercial artist or draftsman, depending upon what type of Work is to be placed on the drawing board surface.

What isclaimed is:

1. A portable drawing board comprising:

a pair of matching, generally rectangular upper and lower frames each having bottom and top cross members and opposite side members;

means hingedly connecting the bottom cross members of said pair of frames whereby said frames are pivotable atan angle, with respect to each other about said hinged connecting means;

means for adjusting the relative angular position of said frames with respect to each other; 7

a generally. rectangular board mounted for slidable movement on said upper frame along the side members thereof;

" means 'for adjusting the-longitudinal position of said board" with respect to said side members; means located on said frames for releasably' securing said frames together when said frames are in contiguous overlying relationship;

said angular adjusting means is an elongated rod general-ly transverse to said cross members, and pivotally mounted at one end to one of said frames, and the other end of said rod being adapted to frictionally engage the other frame;

said rod is positioned intermediate the side members of said upper frame, and said other end of said rod is bifurcated for engaging the inner surface of the top cross member of said lower frame;

said rod including a pair of telescoping sections, one

of said sections being slidable longitudinally with respect to the other section, and means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said one section with respect to the other section;

said upper frame includes a cross bar extending between the sides thereof intermediate said top and bottom cross members;

said one end of said rod being pivotally mounted to said cross bar generally intermediate the ends thereof; and

said rod being of a length suflicient so that said other end thereof may be clamped between one of the pair of cross members of said frames when the latter are in contiguous overlying relationship.

2. A portable drawing board as set forth in claim 1, wherein said board adjusting means comprises at least one screw member threaded through said cross bar for frictionally engaging the lower surface of said board; and

said side members of said upper frame carrying flanges overlying upwardly facing surfaces of said board whereby threading of said screw member frictionally clamps said board between the end of the screw member and said flanges.

3. A portable drawing board as set forth in claim 1, including a pair of supports relatively shorter than said rod and of a length less than the distance between said top cross members and said cross bar on said upper frame;

means pivotally mounting each support to the inside surfaces of the side members of said upper frame between said top cross member and said cross bar; and

the other end of each support being bifurcated for frictionally engaging the inside surface of the top cross member of said lower frame.

References Cited White 1os-9 XR BQBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner GLENN o. FINCH, Assistant Examiner US. 01. "m. 

